


OPERATION: "EN" "POINTE"

by song_of_staying



Category: Hiveswap
Genre: Absent Parents, Ballet, Crossdressing, Family, Fluff, Gen, Teachers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-16
Updated: 2017-09-16
Packaged: 2018-12-30 13:29:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12109734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/song_of_staying/pseuds/song_of_staying
Summary: Spring 1992: Jude identifies a logistical issue, and consults with Roxy.





	OPERATION: "EN" "POINTE"

Aerial Communication Network, Backyard, Harley Manor

REQUEST TACTICAL CONSULTATION   
PLEASE CONFIRM LINE SECURE  
secure as a warm blanket cuz i just ate your lil plane  
whats worryin you, judey?  
THANK YOU FOR TAKING APPROPRIATE MEASURES  
WORRIED ABOUT J. AND “BALLET” “CAMP”  
ballet camp?  
AFFIRMATIVE  
you dont need quotation marks in that sentence… but im not ur language tutor!  
PRACTICING OBFUSCATION THROUGH “PUNCTUATION”  
~~~~~~~~~~``~affirmative~``~~~~~~~~~~  
i didnt know joey was going to ballet camp!  
J. NOT GOING BUT WANTS TO  
NEEDS PERMISSION FROM A “PARENT”  
STANDARD FORGERY PROCEDURE NOT VIABLE  
PARENT NEEDS TO SHOW UP IN “PERSON”  
shoot :-(  
AFFIRMATIVE  
who would your pa have to meet?  
is it one of joeys usual teachers?  
NEGATIVE  
NEW BALLET TEACHER  
J. VERY FOND  
N. B. T. APPEARS HARMLESS  
DESPITE SOVIET CONNECTIONS  
oh good  
maybe i can talk to her  
NEGATIVE  
LEGAL FATHER REQUIRED  
hmmmm  
judey? my arm is getting tired from throwin these paper planes  
plz come down from your hq  
and lets get joey in on this  
i think i know what we gotta do

* * *

This was going to be the worst disaster Joey had ever been involved in, including that time Jude took one of Pa’s trophies to school for show-and-tell and infected half his class with a mysterious tropical disease.

This was going to be even _more_ embarrassing than that, and Joey was going to get herself banned from ballet class for like a month. 

But Roxy and Jude were both so excited, it just felt like the worst kind of party-poopin’ to call it off. And anyway, it was fun watching Roxy rummage through Pa’s closets. Joey and Jude made appreciative noises all through her Style Montage, like always.

Jude voted for the all-black ninja getup that Pa probably bought for murderin’ animals in their caves. Joey liked the gray three-piece suit instead. It made Roxy look taller, more confident somehow. She had a fake moustache, and shoulders as strong as a dancer’s. It didn’t make her look like a man at all, but she looked dang good. 

It also turned out that Roxy could make her voice sound really low when she wanted to. _She was so cool._

Jude grabbed Joey’s hand in the car. He rarely did that anymore! He had to be really nervous about this mission. It made Joey happy, in a weird way, because it meant Jude really wouldn’t mind spending a week alone. Not that it mattered, since she wasn’t going… but it was nice.

Ms. Mironova looked tired. Joey really liked that Ms. Mironova never wore makeup, even though all the other teachers did. She didn’t look like a man either, but Joey thought a suit might suit her, heh! Her hair was even shorter than Joey’s own, and she had a lot of earrings. Joey didn’t care what anyone else said, she was just a really great teacher, and an inspiring artist.

Ms. Mironova looked up at Roxy, and raised an eyebrow. They were _so_ busted.

“I’m here to talk about my Josephine’s future," Roxy said, and winked. Jude made a small noise of distress, huddling behind Joey.That wasn’t Joey’s name.

“My understanding was that Joey’s father worked abroad,” Ms. Mironova said, very flatly.

“And what kind of father doesn’t take a break from his job - if a millionaire can even _have_ a job - to show up and support his firstborn’s passions?”

Ms. Mironova frowned. 

Roxy lowered her ridiculous square glasses. Joey was almost sure she was going to bust out her wand at any moment.

“Joey needs to hone her craft,” Roxy rumbled, and stroked the moustache, “and to make friends with other ballet kids, and talk about ballet things.”

“Hm,” said Ms. Mironova.

“It will be good for her to take her mind off - stuff,” Roxy went on. “Isn’t that the point of art? When the light’s out, it’s less, uh, I mean, it’s better to have something entertaining to focus on, right, and something to, just, do. Instead of not doing anything. Just because her dad’s not home.”

“Mm,” said Ms. Mironova.

“As Josephine’s father, I can sign any document you need me to.” Roxy sounded a little desperate, and pushed a curl behind her ear. They should have done something about her hair. A jaunty hat would have been nice.

“Thank you for coming, Mr Harley,” Ms. Mironova said. Joey blinked up at her. “I will make sure Joey’s sign-up gets through. The camp starts two weeks from now. I trust you have a way to get Joey there?”

“Yeah,” Roxy said, and relief made her voice higher. “I’ll just send the babysitter.”

Ms. Mironova nodded her dismissal, and Joey couldn’t help clinging to Roxy’s shoulder pads as they scurried out of the classroom.

“Why did that work?” Jude demanded. Joey wished he’d wait until they got to the car. Honestly, he was the one who was obsessed with privacy!

Roxy shrugged, and didn’t speak until they all tied their seatbelts.

“Sometimes it’s enough to just give people an illusion, I think.” She ripped the moustache off and put it on the driver’s seat. “You can’t just… make the thing they want appear, but you can pretend you did, and then they’ll pretend along with you. If they’re nice.”

She looked like she had something else to say, and then she turned on the radio instead. “Pizza’s on me,” she said, which didn’t really mean anything, because all three of them used the same food fund.

It took Joey a little while to figure out what it was that she wanted next, but then it all clicked together, like a really satisfying puzzle.

“Roxy,” she said, when they stopped by the pizza place Roxy used to work at. “Can you play Pa for me again tomorrow?”

“Sure thing, sweetie. What do you need?”

“I want to change my last name.” Jude looked startled, but not angry or hurt. Good.

Roxy opened the door for them, smiled, and then ruffled Joey’s hair. “I think we can make that happen.”


End file.
